OUTLINE: Patients receive adjuvant therapy beginning 7-14 days after gross total surgical resection. Patients receive paclitaxel IV over 1 hour on days 1, 8, and 15. Beginning on approximately day 22, patients undergo radiotherapy once daily 5 days a week for 5.5-6.5 weeks. Patients also receive paclitaxel IV over 1 hour followed by cisplatin IV over 1-3 hours on days 43, 50, and 57. Treatment continues in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity.